Surge plate



G. R. WELDEN SURGE PLATE June 26, 1945.

Filed May 11, 1943 INVENTOR, GEORGE R. WELDEN BY gm ATTORNEY V Patented June 26, 1945 SURGE PLATE George R. Welden, Baltimore, Md., assignor to The Glenn L. Martin Company, Middle River, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application May 11, 1943, Serial No. 486,600

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a surge plate construction and is particularly designed for use with the flexible-walled liquid-containing cells which are supported by the walls of a retaining structure.

For the transportation and storage of liquids, particularly hydrocarbon fuel, flexible-walled containers or cells are being used which, in and of themselves, do not have sumcient wallstrength to support the liquid load, but are dependent upon the supporting structure to bear the liquid load while the flexible container merely confines the liquid. For example, in aircraft, it has been common practice to insert rubber or synthetic rubber cells in the cavities formed by the spars, ribs and skin of the wings for the storage of gasoline. Due to the normal flexing of airplane wings, it would be impossible to construct the wing cavity sumciently tight to contain liquid. Therefore, the flexible cell is built so that external dimensions are substantially equal to the internal dimensions of the cavity. The cell gives the necessary fluid tightness and the structure of the cavity bears the load.

In the installation of this type, a further problem arises due to the shape of the cell and the motion of the vehicle on which it is mounted. There will be danger to the cells from the abrasive action between the cell and the retaining structure due to surging of the liquid from one part of the cell to another. The surging of the liquid may cause considerable motion of the cell within the cavity.

This invention contemplates easily insertable and removable surge plates adapted for installation in a flexible-walled liquid container of the type described. Due to the inherent limitation of the structure, it is necessary that the surge plates be easily inserted or removed from the cell after the cell is installed in the retaining structure.

An object of this invention is the provision of surge plates which may be firmly secured within the flexible-walled cell without cuttin the cell wall.

Another object of this invention is the provision of surge plates readily inserted and secured after the cell has been installed in the cavity.

A further object of the construction of the surge plates and the associated supports in the manner herein disclosed is that the invention affords additional support to large capacity cells which normally, due to their size, may collapse of their own weight.

Further and other objects will become apparent from the description of the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this disclosure and in which like numerals refer to like parts.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view partl broken away showing the invention installed in a cell.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a surge plate.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of a surge plate and a spacing rod.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the spacing rod assembly.

In the drawing Figure 1 shows a flexible-walled cell I placed in a cavity formed by retaining wall structure shown in broken lines. The cell has an opening 2 which is normally closed. after the installation of the surge plate structure. The surge plates 3 are inserted through the opening which may be distorted to permit the entrance of a surge plate larger than the diameter opening if necessary. The surge plates, as shown in Figure 2, may be of any contour that will be accommodated by the interior dimensions of the cell and may have one or more openings in the plate, such as shown at 4. The plate will have a plurality of notches 5 for engaging the supporting rods 6. Three notches would be a minimum number to secure the plates on the rods against movement. The rods or spacers extend longitudinally of the cell and are themselves notched to engage the surge plate. Figure 3 shows a spacer notched at I so that the surge plate is secured from movement longitudinally of the cell. The spacer has a foot 8 which engages the wall of the cell. A resilient pad 9 is usually placed between the foot and the wall of the cell to prevent abrasion due to direct contact between the foot and the wall. The spacer is formed in two parts joined together by a hexagonal member l0. Threaded rods extend from member In into threaded holes into the adjacent portion of member 6, one rod having a left-hand thread and the other having a right-hand thread so that when member ID is rotated, the portions of spacers 6 are forced apart and the wall of the cell is pressed firmly against the retaining structure. The surge plates are retained by the notches in the spacers and due to the fact that they do not fit tightly in the flexible containers they do not prevent withdrawing the liquid from the container, but they effectively bafile the surging of the liquid due to motion of the vehicle in which the cell is installed.

It should be apparent from the illustration that the two portions of spacers 6 may be detached from member II for inserting through opening 2 and later assembled in the cell, after which the surge plates are secured by the corresponding notches in the spacers and the plates.

The illustration of the invention applied to a rectangular cell is merely intended to show a typical application of .the removable surge plate structure.

It is to be understood that certain changes, alternations, modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, walls forming a hollow retaining structure, a flexible-walled liquid storage cell of rubber-like material, adapted to be placed within the cavity formed by said retaining structure, said cell having an access opening in one side thereof, a plurality of spaced, transverse surge plates adapted to be placed within said cell through said access opening, said plates having notches in the peripheral edges thereof, longitudinal rods having notches complementing the notches in said plates to engage and support the edges of said plates in spaced relation within said cell and a mechanism to longitudinally extend said rods to clamp the opposite inside end-walls of said cell against said retaining structure to support said rods and said plates.

2. The combination with a flexible walled liquid storage cell of rubber-like material, adapted to be placed into a cavity in a retaining structure, said cell having an access opening formed in one wall thereof, of a plurality of spaced transverse surge plates adapted to be placed within said cell through said opening, said plates having notches in the edges thereof, longitudinal rods having notches complementing the notches in said plates to locate and support said plates in spaced relation along said cell, said rods formed into two portions, said portions being joined together by a coupling member, said coupling member engaging said rod portions with a right hand and a left hand thread whereby, upon rotation of said coupling member, said rod portions are longitudinally extended into clamping engagement with the opposite end walls of said cell to support said rods and said plates.

GEORGE R. WELDEN. 

